Dulcius ex asperis
by YokaiShinari
Summary: "Sweeter after difficulties". Little story about how two worlds met and settled, and continued living together in a perfect unision. Lazy spring/summer feelings. Post series. Caryl.


They found each other. After being lost for so long in this world; as their critical state in survival grew to be almost unbearable, impossible - they found each other. And from that mutual relation, they could finally settle, provide for one another, help each other live and, in some strange way, experience a hint of happiness.

It has been several months after all those wars their colonies had to endure. Peace between people. It was all that mattered. Because that could finally end all of Carol's inner degradation and misery. To some extent, at least, but that was enough for Daryl to reach for her, they had reached each for another. Tired of running around. Their separation strenghtened their already unbreakable bond. Out of reach then, now within reach - they had more than enough. They were together.

Carol couldn't remember the last time she had such calm and poetic, almostromanticspeck of a life. Laying on a blanket under a wild apple tree, while the sun reflexions tickled her always-pale skin. Having a bottle of water and a loaf of bread -actualbread, made by Hilltopian women, from crops they fought hard to harvest; watching her man working around their small apple orchard. The fruit had long gone wild. Inedible. But the trees flowered lavishly. That was their initial step, after they settled. For the first time, being around flowers didn't bother Carol that much.

Daryl had found this orchard on one of his hunts - deer enjoy bitter taste of forest fruit. The area had been widly overgrown with vine, nettles and what-nots, though. Lot of the trees gone wither, dead, too. But the rest of them was in good condition. Daryl knew what a good apple tree looked like. Those times when he would get caught stealing neighbours apples when they were boys with Merle were echoing in his head, as he was examining every branch of those future-holding plants. Soon after, he found first signs of their future, that was marking its presence around with a quiet, ear-soothing buzzing.

Initially clearing the area, he took Carol there. She went speechless, but her eyes were telling himeverything he needed to know. Approval. Gratitude. Amazement - something really rare, that he knew, only he could evoke in her these days. She had told him that more than once. And something else there was in her eyes. Her sparkling skies were full of something more alive than ever. It gave him enough strength to work on what they found, until he couldn't any longer. That night they celebrated that moment in the most sensual, magical dance, happening just between them - inside them. They were learning each other by heart, slowly filling up and drinking from their mutual goblets of love. That night marked a dawn of the most beautiful rest of their lives. Entwined, they dreamed of their future.

She was anxious at first, when he declared that they were going to have kids. Not normal kids, though. Not from their own flesh. They were going to have tens, hundreds of were his words. And that was his promise. And, at the end of the world, but at the beginning of a life for Daryl and Carol Dixon, they decided to settle and provide both for themselves, and for others, as well asfor those little buzzing friends. She had accepted that with all her loving heart.

It has been several months after all those wars their colonies had to endure. Peace between people. It was all that mattered. Because that could finally end all of their bee colony's inner degradation and misery. There was that human, big creature, who could take such care of them, as noone before, taking those years proceeding the end of the world. He took them to a new place. Out of reach then, now within reach - they had more than enough. The bees accepted the care, new homes. Abundance of the growing orchard and sweet wild apple flowers. In exchange they were giving him their honey, their wax combs, their company and magic of being around. They were growingtogether.

They were together, still working, surviving, providing for others, but on the daily basis - they were theirs only. They had found another little house on the Kingdom's edges. There, they stayed. There - only within a stone throw distance - their full of life orchard and wodden beehives. Their babees. Their life and hope. Daryl, walking carefully around them, blowing white smoke to calm the colonies down, as his still flexible and strong arms were working inside those little buzzing homes. Cheking if new workers had finally left their eggshells, when the time came. Looking for weak spots; holes. Scrubbing wax, when needed. They trusted him. He trusted them.

Carol spread golden honey on a slice of amazingly smelling bread. That was the most astounding thing for her, as she was watching Daryl work - he'd been careful with the bees from the very beginning; he put his everything into their relationship with those fluffy insects. He would never wear any protective gloves, or long sleeves. Nothing for his eyes either. He let them feel his skin, as armies of those things crawled around his arms like a living armor. That was his andtheirsmagic. He was careful, patient and his ability to intuit the state of the hive was beyond everything. There was nothing new, that Carol wouldn't know about her hunter. Nevertheless, watching him taking such care in something he called his and hers both, knowing it's something they both achieved and cared for - that was warming, encouraging. However vague it appeared to her, it made her feel alive.

Small little bee landed on Carol's arm. She stilled and watched as the creature made its way up her skin to climb on the tip of her thumb. Its antennas were shaking around and somehow it seemed to be looking down, at the slice of bread Carol was holding. The moment lasted only mere seconds, before the bee turned in her direction and then spread its little wings and buzzed away. It could mean nothing. It certainly would. But Carol had seen enough in this life - magical, supernatural, even if it had been only a spark of something - she could swear, that that bee showed Carol its trust too; it acknowledged her and its work she was appreciating. She knew that meantworldto them.

Daryl made his way towards Carol, as she was sitting under the biggest apple tree that was growing in their orchard. She looked normal, every-day-like. But he saw her as the greatest goddess, guardian of the peace in their garden,hisbeautiful woman. He absently sucked at his fingers, cleaning them from any speck of honey that remained on his fingertips, looking at her with admiration, his heart full to the edges. As he approached Carol's blanket, she was already standing, having an after-work sweetness waiting for him. First, in the form of a perfect nature-provided, human-made bite of bread and honey, being an extension of her milky arm in a silent offering. His eyes never leaving hers, while he was expressing his thanks and abundant love through them. Then, their knowing looks connected, quietly, as their honey-dipped lips danced with each other, sending ever-enchanting heat; sealing the day after his body had been working for so long.

Then, they walked around their garden, hand-in-hand, until the sun declared its time for sleep. Sometimes, while working, the death would make its way around their life, but they grew used to taking care of it. They have been doing this from the beginning, together -make the dead die and the living live, while it could still be possible. In any way, wherever. They had each other, and it was enough to make this work. Their home and love they would fill it with was the ultimate confirmation of that.

They found each other. After being lost for so long in this world, as their critical state in survival grew to be almost unbearable, impossible - they found each other. And from that mutual relation, they could finally settle, provide for one another, help each other live and, in some strange way, experience a hint of happiness.

Fin.

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 _Thank you so much for reading! I hope I didn't bore you too much with the feeling of this fic. On nine lives archives, my profile YokaiShinari you can find aesthetic collage/banner I made specifically for this one shot. Reviews are love. I always reply (or I try to) Have great days! Pozdrowienia dla polskich czytelników/ :)_


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